Research into the history of Football in Falkirk district : mainly concentrating on the the period up to 1945 I like to dig through the newspapers from the days of yore to find little vignettes that were rarely included in the published histories.
From the ugly side to the downright obscure, just don't expect me to write about anything too obvious ....

Saturday, 17 March 2018

Sadly footballers are human beings too, therefore suffer from the same foibles we do. This occasionally meanders into the territory of what we call a person, and that that can differ from what the state recognises as that person's name.

Families are complicated things at the simplest of times, but when it does not work in the Nuclear fashion the state has little concept of how we feel as people. So when I am given the most scant information about a Falkirk FC player [given name and family name] that is all fine until that person's outlook changes in the Real World.

The boy that started playing with Queensferry Hibernian as William Ritchie in the mid 1880s as a man decided to be known as William Finnigan by 1891, yet retained the name Ritchie in football.

All I know is that Ritchie was his Mother's surname, that Finnigan was his Father's surname and that he was born out of wedlock in the parish of Abercorn, Linlithgowshire. Other than that I know not why he felt it necessary to change name.

Were it not for a protest from Bo'ness FC to the East of Scotland FA over this discrepancy I would have remained ignorant of William's identity.

Sunday, 11 February 2018

Last summer, when I was out and about in Grandsable Cemetery I found the
stone of a man that was far more famed in Scotland when playing in the
Green & White Hoops than in Falkirk's Navy Blue [never mind his time
in England]. Such is the manner of Scottish Football.

I am talking about Charles Edward Napier, son of the former Falkirk FC Secretary Charles Edward Napier. Yes, he had Falkirk FC in his blood before he left Alva Albion Rovers for Celtic. Not saying a word against our brothers in Glasgow but Chic Napier was a Falkirk boy, and when European conflict sent him home he came to Falkirk.

All in all Charles [as the local Falkirk Herald respectfully called him] played in more than a hundred matches and scored [from midfield] nearly 50 goals for Falkirk: these are figures that shame some of our best centre-forwards of recent years [written 2018]. There are those out there that might say his 'home club' was East Stirlingshire, but as the 'shire 'wound up for the war we were the local team.

We can say very little about Charles' time at Falkirk as, as anyone who has tried to research football during the War will know football reporting was limited from both sides, both from physical limitations on the amount of paper and from the Home Office limiting the facts that could be said.

But facts speak more than my words and these are the facts of Charles Napiers' time at Falkirk.

Friday, 8 September 2017

I cannot take credit for finding this grave other than coming across it when searching his name on the internet, in fact I do not believe I have ever been to Kilsyth Cemetery so someone else found it for me. However I do not believe the person who added it to 'find a grave' knew it was the grave of a former footballer.

Patrick McKay was a deadly Centre-Forward for Kilsyth Emmet, in time earning him a Scottish Junior cap v England in Birmingham, this was good enough to raise the interest of Celtic, and not long after his international appearance he was given an opportunity to play for the Bhoys in the Glasgow League. He scored both of the goals his debut, Celtic's 2-2 draw with Third Lanark at Cathkin Park. That brace probably earned him a contract, but earning a contract does not mean an automatic place in the first team.

So by October he was transferred to Bolton Wanderers, where it seems he rapidly dissapeared into the reserves: by the end of the 1898/99 season the Kirkintilloch Herald repord he had been re-instated as an amateur, and was playing again with the Emmet.

Over the next season and a bit I have found him playing with Clydebank, Falkirk and Aberdeen before finally signing full-time with Bo'ness.

Saturday, 2 September 2017

Falkirk player from way back then, seems to have been done a slight injustice by the Falkirk Herald, I have gone through the usual places, and it seems that the MacIntosh Family were only ever McIntosh in the Census. Anyway, John MacIntosh played for Falkirk for a remarkably long time, given the era. Which means either he was good enough a player to go to Glasgow/Edinburgh but remained because of his job in the real world, or that he was just good enough, but kept his head under the parapets.

I don't know, he seems to have done the usual thing, just at one club, he started as a sparkling Outside-Left, in the early 1880s, retiring as a classy Left-Half in the early 1890s. But due to his employment never having played the decades worth of matches we expect from modern professionals.

Wednesday, 2 August 2017

Another chap who was better known locally for his place in the upper echelons of civic society than for his youthful exploits on the football field, was Peter Auchinachie, for many a year Rector of Grangemouth High School and a Justice of the Peace to boot. Although born in Banff, Peter's family moved first to the Glen Village then to Falkirk when he was but a lad, and it was at Falkirk High School that his twin loves of education and football were kindled.

But in 1893 his services were to be temporarily lost to local clubs as he went up to Glasgow University to undertake his masters [I believe it was in economics but I am not sure]. At the same time he qualified 4th in his class at the CoS Training College [the institution that became Jordanhill College]. In a later commemoration of him it was stated that he played for the University's football club during his time but I have found no evidence of this from the time.

The first time I have found him relating to football is from Falkirk Amateur's first ever match a 4-2 defeat at the hands of Camelon's 2nd XI right at the tail-end of the 1896/97 season. And although I have never found anything to tie down the formation of Falkirk Ams it is not too far to surmise that most, if not all, of the players in that match were among the founders of the club.

Although he was a stalwart of Falkirk Amateurs for it's first two full seasons, his appointment as Assistant Headmaster of Grangemouth High effectively ended his playing days. During this time he managed to play the one match for Falkirk FC [he played in the last Central Combination match of the 1897/98 season as Thomas Turnbull had made it clear that he was leaving for East Stirlingshire as soon as possible], yet his association with the town's professional club was not over, as Peter served on the committee between 1901 and 1904, as well as temporarily holding the post of treasurer in 1903 when Harry McNaught emigrated to the USA.

After this point though the only references to him are to do with his educational career, Falkirk FC in 1905 became a PLC, and there was no need for a committee, and certainly not a committee made up of gentlemanly amateurs with a love of the game, and his attentention seem to have shifted toward the Grangemouth Burns Club.

Saturday, 1 July 2017

This is the closest thing to an obituary I have found for the former King's Park & Falkirk FC centre-forward George Thallon. His inclusion in the papers [it was also in the Scotsman] leaves a lot of questions unanswered. I won't even go there, although I'm pretty sure there is a report I'd like to read somewhere in the archives of the Glasgow Police.

Born in Stirling to a Railway family, George was however brought up in Leith, and soon after school became a clerk with the North British Railway Company. It was through this employment, as Goods Clerk, that he moved first to Stirling Station, then to Falkirk Grahamston Station. In 1889 it was reported that the NBR had moved him back to Edinburgh.

During his time in Falkirk not only did he play football, but was active with the two main cross-country clubs, Clydesdale Harriers and Falkirk Heavy Weather Club, even playing football for both against senior opposition.

Which brings me back to his end, I mean he was missing for more than a month, then dead, says neither suicide nor homicide, more like misadventure.

The only picture I have of him, from an 1885/86 King's Park team photo.

Thursday, 29 June 2017

As I have previously noted, James 'Midgy' Tennant liked a drink, so much so it often got in the way of his football career. I just found this article about his 'exploits' being reported as far away as Angus.

Sunday, 9 October 2016

I haven't posted anything in a while mainly because I like to space posts out and because I have been taking advantage of Ancestry's free weekend to look up stuff [for example I found four Falkirk players that served in WWI that I never knew about].

I mean who would have known that Peter Gardiner was in the Army Pay Corp 1914-1918?, or that Thomas Bellingham [who played in the 1880s] at the age of 58 signed up for the Royal Defence Corps, or that Robert Terris was a mechanic in the Fleet Air Arm at HMS Daedalus?

Anyway I'm posting now because I found one of the worst examples of beaurocracy from the Army, ever, on James Higgins Laing's record:

On his conduct sheet, under "Offence"

I'm pretty sure, with a bit of thought, N/A, would have been applicable.

NB - Just for accuracy the other one was John Hotchkies in the A & S Highlanders.

Saturday, 17 September 2016

When researching football players in the dim and distant past I often have to try to find out about their lives outside of football, this can help since it adds more than just puting a players name and clubs into your friendly search engine. When you throw in an adress/spouse's name/employment it just gives more options to explore.

Which is why I was very impressed when I stumbled across the army record of Ebenezer Taylor on one of those stupidly expensive genealogy sites [however I was "researching" on a day when they were giving free access to their military papers last week ;)], and most impressed when I found a letter from his employers Aitken's Brewery to the Army stating that they would re-employ him upon his demobilisation.

From his papers also came lots of biographical details, including his family, and, interestingly [to me anyway], a paper stating that he had been a P.O.W. towards the end of the War.

Now this has got me puzzled, it has the date and place of capture 28th March 1918 at Monchy [which I assume is Monchy-le-Preux], and that he was last interned at what looks like "Wallers", and it is this last name that puzzles me, I can find nothing like this name in the list of Prisoner of War centres used during the War....

As a player he seems to have been good enough, if not setting the world ablaze, and dissapeared from the team as quickly and as anonymously as he appeared. All I know about his past was a throw-away remark on his debut match about him being "a Stirling Junior", and as far as I'm aware he never kicked a ball in anger after leaving Falkirk.

He is occasionally mentioned in the Falkirk Herald, living in Penders Lane, usually in connection with the brewery, up until 1934, when he simply dissapears, and then in 1943 he is noted as the Late E.Taylor on the occasion of the marriage of his youngest daughter. But in between I have found nothing. Looks like I'm going to have to look to the Falkirk Mail to save the day [again].

Thursday, 15 September 2016

After digging about on the internet today, I came across the attestation papers of Falkirk FC's Robert "Bob" Godfrey, one of the Falkirk players who joined the 16th Royal Scots in the very early days of the war.

A local lad, the family living on the Tryst Road, 'Bob' had just made the step up from junior football in 1912, and was begining to settle into the Falkirk side as a regular as war was breaking out.

Although normally a centre-half, he occasionally played at right-half, and was Falkirk's emergency goalkeeper [in fact he played a number of games between the sticks for the reserves].

After eventually being given a medeical discharge for having "hammer toe", Bob assisted Stenhousemuir before rejoining the Bairns for a season or two. Then he set off on a journey round many of the Scottish Second Division in the immediate post-war years.

Thursday, 1 September 2016

Whilst out and about perusing my local Cemetery [Camelon] recently I happened across another name from the past that I recognised.

I humbly apologise for my reflection ;(

I will not bluster, Archie Waugh was an average defender, but was a local lad, and son of Thomas a former secretary: after not being able to find a guaranteed spot at Falkirk he moved around before coming back to end his career as a reserve/cover in the late twenties.

Saturday, 9 July 2016

The great John McTavish paired up with John Simpson to create one of the greatest right-wing partnerships in the history of Falkirk FC. Interestingly the two players careers match well, both joining Falkirk at about 1905 from junior football, both leaving in 1910 to go on to successful careers down south, and both players making slightly over-the-hill comebacks for Falkirk during the First World War.

However there was no doubt about the nationality of McTavish [Simpson was born in England], thus the Scotland selectors were forced [then as now unwillingly] to pay attention to a "provincial" player.

After his football career was over Jock went in to management with East Stirlingshire, however it was brief and he returned to the world of work, settling in Camelon for the rest of his days.

Played for Team 'B' v Team 'A', League International Trial at Glasgow, 25th February 1907
Played for Team 'B' v Team 'A', League International Trial at Glasgow, 17th February 1908
Played for Team 'B' v Team 'A', League International Trial at Glasgow, 16th February 1910
Played for 'Home-Scots' v 'Anglo-Scots', Scottish International Trial at Glasgow, 21st March 1910
Played for Blue v White, Stirlingshire FA Benefit Match at Brockville Pk, Falkirk, 27th April 1910

Tuesday, 5 July 2016

Willie Raisbeck came from a Slamannan/Larkhall football dynasty: the Raisbecks produced several footballers at the turn of the Century. Born in Wallacestone [and not Wallacetown, Ayrshire like it says on his Wikipedia entry], he grew up in Limerigg before the family moved to Larkhall, where he "entered the footballing fraternity".

After his Falkirk career he moved to Alberta, Canada, where he may have played with Lethbridge FC.

Sunday, 3 July 2016

The latest subject of the Prominent Football Players series, Hugh McDougal was a Highlander [hailing from Kilmallie] who had moved to the Central Belt to take up teaching. Making him one of that rare breed of footballers: the amateur.

In itself that is no bad thing, but the truth of the matter is that most amateurs had to spend most of their time doing, well, a proper job, instead of practicing or training; frankly improving. This in the long term usually means the amateur player in a professional football club becomes a bit part player.

Another effect is that the player goes where the job takes them, and this was the case with Hugh, after a season with Falkirk he moved to Dunfermline Athletic, followed by spells at King's Park, Stenhousemuir and ending his career at East Stirlingshire with the outbreak of the Great War. All of these moves dictated by which teaching positions he took up.

It is hard to gauge his career today because most of his career was spent with non-league teams who are now league teams.

Thursday, 30 June 2016

I suppose when the Falkirk Herald decided their Prominent Football Players it must have all been relative, because some of the players have largely been forgotten to history. Or perhaps they were more celebrated in the district back then, no television etc.

William Folley was yet another product of the local junior system, after a couple of seasons with Falkirk, he moved on to East Fife, then Bathgate, before moving "down south" to play with Luton Town, where I lose touch with him...

Sunday, 26 June 2016

Unlike his big brother 'Jock', Robert McTavish did not really get a chance to prove himself in what must have been one of the best Falkirk FC sides of all time. One of the main reasons for his not getting any chances was simply down to that fact that his 'natural' positions on the right wing were taken by the legendary Jock Simpson and his own brother.

This meant that most of his games for the first eleven ended up being at Centre-Forward or Outside-Left, but his performances at Outside-Right for Falkirk 'A' kept him in contention for a place come injury or suspension.

Sunday, 19 June 2016

This post from the prominent footballers series is that of James 'Punkie' Reid. Another local lad who Falkirk pinched from East Stirlingshire twice. Although starting his career at Inside-Right, in his second spell at the club he played almost exclusively at Right-Half, to such success that in 1907 he played in the Scottish League International Trial, then in 1909 in the Scottish International Trial, sadly though not being given the honour of representing his country.

After his Falkirk career he moved on to Cowdenbeath, then served in the Great War with Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders.